Cannot wait until tomorrow to tell you – I just spent the evening entranced, watching one of the most brilliant pieces of theatre in my long history of theatre-going: Jane Eyre, produced by the National Theatre, directed by Sally Cookson. Extraordinary, the best kind of theatre, done imaginatively on a simple set – those poor actors, like squirrels, racing up and down ladders and ramps – with musicians on the stage and a small cast playing multiple parts, including, unforgettably, Mr. Rochester’s dog.
What a gothic story, first of all, to come out of the imagination of the isolated Charlotte Brontë. What a desolate path she creates for her passionate, steadfast heroine.
The scene in the play, before she knows he loves her and before he knows she loves him, when she cries out her pain and grief and desperate love – she thinks he is sworn to another – took my breath away. And the final moment … I burst into sobs.
It’s that good. And it’s free, on YouTube. Such pure artistic treasure doesn’t come often, and you get to watch it free, in your own home. Incredible. Don’t miss it.
As someone wrote on the comments, If there’s a silver lining to this pandemic, it’s the opportunity to see wonderful productions like this that people wouldn’t otherwise experience. Thank you. Watching this lifted my weary spirit.
Mine too. Yes – thank you.
